I am really not good in giving directions but I know I can do better by not giving a direction like typical Ghanaians give.
Wherever you are coming from it doesn’t matter here, but when one manages to find his/her way to ‘Silver Cup’ around Silver Cup near Paloma Restaurant. There is a junction that leads to the office of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), but just before junction, you are greeted with a very big signboard of H. E, President J.E.A Mills posting a nice smile with an inscription ‘100 days of a Better Ghana” that can surely woo a woman. What do you think?
As a former student of Premier Productions Training School, I always ply that route all the time and any time I get into eye contact with that signboard, all I keep telling myself is that ‘what bloody 100 days of a better Ghana are you talking about sir’ of course with a frowned face but the smiling face of His Excellency on that signboard can be said to be that of a confused or a weak man who is under time bomb to deliver the numerous promises he made to the good people of Ghana.
‘There is no art to find the mind’s construction on the face’ says William Shakespeare. His Excellency who a lot believe was not ready to handle the mantle as the president of this land might appear smiling all the time but inwardly he is already burning out.
To add my voice to President Mills’ first 100 days in office, I strongly believe that President Mills and his NDC has achieved nothing within the hundred days that they gave themselves to fulfill some key promises in their party's manifesto.
Looking back at the first 100 days of the NDC in office it is as crystal clear that, not just the Opposition but to most Ghanaians. Even those who voted for that change, now acknowledges that the NDC was never ready for the leadership of this country as they said they were.
The NDC promised to hit the ground to reduce the rising cost of living, but we are seeing the cost of basic items increasing daily. One can go to the market today and find prices of food items soaring. Cost of living has gone bad that the poor is suffering. Most of the so called NDC bigwigs who worked in the background are now reaping the benefits to the disadvantage of the poor masses.
So what kind of 100 days of a better Ghana are they talking about? 100 days of Nepotism, fighting and confiscating KVIPs, increase in road accidents, seizing of lorry parks, infighting, or their lies to Ghanaians?
President Mills promised to be father for all but what happened when most of the pro-NDC newspaper were invited to the Castle for their so called; "100-days-of-a-better-Ghana briefings"?
Hate is a strong word I wouldn’t want to toil with but President Mills is not a fan at all. Does this ring a bell in your ears?
"I pledge to allocate 40% of all positions in government to women, should I be given the nod as the next president of Mother Ghana" What has happen to this joyous promise to women?
I am a respecter of womanhood, I strongly believe President Mills has deliberately, deceived the Ghanaian Womenfolk, he has failed by refusing them their 40% share in his government. Even by the woeful 11% as it stands, he has reduced it by refusing to appoint Mrs. Mills Robertson as the substantive woman police IGP.
Appointing the first acting woman IGP in the history of Ghana Police, the NDC beat their chest on high moral grounds that, they have better recognize the Ghanaian woman in policy making as compared to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in government.
Speaking with an illustrious Ghanaian woman who claimed anonymity based on her affiliation with the NDC said, "President Mills' behaviour towards the contemporal Ghanaian woman concerning his 40% promise which shucked to 11% and has now refused the only woman in a powerful position like the IGP leaves a big scare in his judgment on the Ghanaian woman in the policy making decision".
She further intoned, 'What is more worrisome is that, the then Vice Presidential Candidate Hon. John Dramani Mahama had to repeat his boss' pledge over and over again, when he had the opportunity to talk to various women groups in Ghana".
She continued “President Mills' reasons for failing this particular promise to women is funny, how can he claim Ghanaian women are reluctant to be in politics. I can name various platforms the then Presidential Candidate and his running mate was on to drum this same pledge on and Oh! Didn’t they know that NDC has few women or Ghana politics is bereft of women. For his lame excuses, no disrespect, but he needs some floggings".
She quietly murmured, "Atta adaada yen", literally means President Mills has deceived the Ghanaian women-folk.
Whether, all government appointment has been made or not does not make any sense whatsoever, because the president’s ‘lame’ excuse made us to believe that, his government cannot find any more knowledgeable women in Ghana apart from the few he has appointed. Interesting, isn’t it?
How can women join NDC, when they will be eventually flogged like school kids when they don’t endorse or support what the owner of the party says? What happened to Frances Essiam and Maame Dokono are still fresh in our minds.
Then candidate Atta Mills should have known this; he ought to have known that their party does not simply appeal to women anymore because we are not in the darker days and those primitive years, we are in a more free, open and an enlighten world now.
In all this, am disappointed I have not heard anything from Nana Oye Lithur, a supposed gender activist, who was very vibrant in the former NPP administration fighting the cause of women
By Ebenezer Anangfio Jnr. (Columnist, www.ghanalounge.co.uk and www.ghanaimage.com) email: eanangfio@hotmail.com http://anangfio.blogspot.com
